Improvement in spinning-tops



H. D. FORBES.

SPINNING-TOP.

Patented June 12,1877.

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, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Im- U'NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY D. FORBES, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN SPINNING-TOPS.

Speciflcationforming part of Letters Patent No. l9l,756, dated June 12, 1877; application filed March 13, 1877.

To all whom it may concern 7 Be it known that 1, HENRY D. FORBES, of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and proveinent on Spinning-Tops, of which the following is a specification:

The nature of my invention consists in a new device for spinning tops, said device being embraced in a quill which passes entirely through handle and projects at each side. This quill has at each end an inclined slot into which a small pin'on the shank of the top fits, the pin and slot forming a loose lanternlock or bayonet-catch, so arranged that when the quill is driving the top the pin, will hold the shank in the quill; but when the quill ceases to revolve the continued motion of the shank will free the pin from the slot in the quill, and the top will.fall from the handle and continue its spinning motion. The quill is provided with a reel, about which the string is wound a number of times to give the necessary friction for communicating the motion of the string to the reel. The ends of the string extend in both directions, and are each provided with a button to prevent their being pulled through the handle. By drawing the string in one direction the reel revolves and communicates its motion to the top 5 then, when the top has stopped, one has only to turn the handle over, so that the other end of the quill will be down, and, insertingthe shank, pull the other end of the string. This will again spin the top.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a section of a part of the same.

Let A represent the top, which may be ma e in any desired style and shape. B is t e shank of the top, and is provided with a s 11 pin, (J. D D is a quill or tube passing through the handle H, as shown. At each end of the quill D D I have -an' inclined slot, 01 (1, into which the pin 0 on the shank B fits, and thus forms a lantern-joint. The reel K is attached to the quill D D, as shown in Fig. 2. N N is a string wound around the reel K a sufficient number of times to give the required friction. The ends of the string extend as shown in Fig. l, and terminate in a knot or button, P P.

To use this invention, I proceed asfollows: The handle H is held in the left hand, the part N of the string being pulled through so the button P is close to the handle. Now, the shank B of the top is inserted in the quill, and the string is pulled. This spins the top, which falls out of the quill as soon as the quill stops revolving. Now, to repeat, I simply turn the handle over, so the other end of the quill will be down, and repeat the operation.

Instead of a single reel, K, I may have two, and have two strings, one on each reel, so arranged that when one is wound up the other is unwound.

Having now described the construction and operation of my invention, what I desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

The combination of the handle H with the quill or tube D D, said quill having a lanternlock or bayonet-catch at each end, and provided with a reel, K, all arranged to operate together substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

HENRY D. FORBES. 

